Six-foot snake on the loose on Anna Maria

Published: Tuesday, February 26, 2013 at 2:41 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, February 26, 2013 at 2:41 p.m.

ANNA MARIA - A woman walking her dog by The Birds Nest vacation apartments on Anna Maria Island got a shock when she saw an exotic snake slither from under a hot tub deck Monday. After her husband spotted the snake, the couple called Wildlife Inc., but the 6-foot creature with a large head was gone by the time representatives arrived.

“We don't know whether it's a Burmese python or not,” said Damen Hurd, of Wildlife Inc. “It sounds to me like it was a boa constrictor or a python, but we won't know until we find it.”

Hurd and two others searched for the snake for three hours Monday, but were unable to find it. They will wait for it to be spotted before searching again, he said Tuesday.

Exotic snakes are not native to Florida, but in past decades species like the Burmese python have overrun areas like the Everglades. Hurd said most likely the snake was a lost pet, because there have been few cases of exotic snakes found in Manatee County.

He instructed those who spot the snake to keep their distance and call the Wildlife Inc. hotline.

<p><em>ANNA MARIA</em> - A woman walking her dog by The Birds Nest vacation apartments on Anna Maria Island got a shock when she saw an exotic snake slither from under a hot tub deck Monday. After her husband spotted the snake, the couple called Wildlife Inc., but the 6-foot creature with a large head was gone by the time representatives arrived.</p><p>“We don't know whether it's a Burmese python or not,” said Damen Hurd, of Wildlife Inc. “It sounds to me like it was a boa constrictor or a python, but we won't know until we find it.”</p><p>Hurd and two others searched for the snake for three hours Monday, but were unable to find it. They will wait for it to be spotted before searching again, he said Tuesday.</p><p>Exotic snakes are not native to Florida, but in past decades species like the Burmese python have overrun areas like the Everglades. Hurd said most likely the snake was a lost pet, because there have been few cases of exotic snakes found in Manatee County.</p><p>He instructed those who spot the snake to keep their distance and call the Wildlife Inc. hotline.</p><p>“We searched that entire area,” Hurd said. “It's somewhere out there still.”</p>